The New Trend in Fast Food

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Change is a-comin’, and it’s been coming for a long time in the way that we eat. The trend towards eating whole and unprocessed foods is making its way from farms and grocery stores to regional and national fast food chains. According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index Restaurant Report 2015 released June 30th, consumers are shifting away from long-time industry giants such as McDonald’s and Burger King and moving towards establishments like Panera, Chipotle, and In-N-Out Burger that focus on fresh and healthy ingredients. Though the Burger Kings of the world are altering their menus to accommodate more non-GMO and organic options, these changes have actually resulted in a loss of customer base. Perhaps customers are still looking for something new and different.

That's where options like Panera Bread's focus on Clean Eating, Chipotle's commitment to cutting GMOs, and the opening of restaurants such as Amy’s Kitchen’s new drive-thru, show that the whole and healthy fast food trend is not slowing down. The new Amy’s Drive Thru, scheduled to open in California this month, will feature classics such as burgers and shakes containing organic and non-GMO ingredients, buns and veggie burgers made from scratch, and even a "living" roof--all of this while keeping prices competitive with burgers for $2.99 and burritos for $4.69.

The thought for a long time was that organic, fresh, and whole had to come at a great cost. However with restaurants starting to offer high-quality food at reasonable prices, it looks like only the beginning of a huge shift in the way that America thinks of fast food and food in general.